Government expected to confirm Jourová nomination on Monday

The Czech government is expected to confirm the nomination of Věra
Jourová for a post in the new European Commission on Monday. The choice
has received broad approval both from government officials and the
opposition.

Ms. Jourová is currently the European commissioner for justice, consumers
and gender equality and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is hoping that her
experience will increase the country’s chances of getting a more
ambitious portfolio, such as the internal market or digitalization.

Konev statue cleaned up by members of public

Several people gathered on Saturday to clean-up the statue of Soviet
Marshal Ivan Konev which had been splattered with red paint on the
anniversary of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. The police did
not intervene, the ctk news agency reported.

The local administration had refused to remove the paint, saying it
reflected public opinion and calling on the Russian Embassy to enter into
talks on moving the statue to embassy grounds.

Marshal Konev is perceived as a controversial figure in the Czech Republic.
Although he helped liberate the country from Nazi oppression, he was also
involved in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956 and the
construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Země Živitelka culminates with harvest festival

The agricultural trade fair Země Živitelka in České Budějovice
culminated with a traditional harvest festival at the weekend, attracting
thousands of visitors.

Farmers from around the country took part in the traditional harvest parade
that included majorettes, horse riders and falconers, as well as a live
badger.

Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman thanked farmers for their good work and
for being increasingly friendly to the environment. He said that despite
problems with drought the agricultural sector was in good shape.

The trade fair, the largest domestic show of agricultural equipment,
products and animals, attracts over 100,000 visitors every year. It closes
on Monday.

Experts deactivate hand grenade from WWII

The Vltava embankment near Podoli in Prague was closed to cyclists and
pedestrians for over an hour on Sunday morning after two men pulled a hand
grenade from the river.

Explosives experts confirmed it was a Mark II Fragmentation Hand Grenade
from WWII which had been buried in the muddy bottom of the river for years.
It was deactivated without the need to restrict cars and trams in the area.

Czech police officers helping in Bosnia

Czech police officers helped Bosnian security forces destroy over 220kg of
heavy aerial bombs from World War II in an area close to Sana River in the
northwest of the country at the weekend, local media reported.

Twenty Czech police officers are currently deployed in Bosnia within the
framework of cooperation in the field of security between the Czech
Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Czech police divers have been involved in mine clearance in Bosnia since
2012.

Over 30,000 people living in “modern slavery” in the Czech Republic

According to the Global Slavery Index, there are currently over 30,000
people living in “modern slavery” in the Czech Republic, Czech Radio
reported on Sunday. Offenders use them mainly for seasonal work or in
construction.

The Czech Republic presently ranks 108th out of 167 countries on the Global
Slavery Index. The country sentenced 16 people for human trafficking last
year, according to data released by the Ministry of the Interior.

The victims are mostly people from socially disadvantaged groups and
foreigners, mainly from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania or Vietnam.

Weather forecast

Monday should be partly cloudy to overcast with rain in places and day
temperatures between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius.